Of all the incredible acting collaborations seen throughout Hollywood history, the pairing of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara has been one of cinema’s greatest. With Wayne’s reputation as perhaps the greatest leading man in classic American cinema and O’Hara’s talent for playing dynamic, passionate heroines, the two were a perfect match and were always a joy to watch together. Wayne and O’Hara collaborated with legendary filmmaker John Ford on three separate occasions, only adding to the legacy of their work together.
The films starring both Wayne and O’Hara vary wildly and include fantastic Western couples, an idyllic rural romance and even a laugh-out-loud real-life comedy. Wayne and O’Hara played to each other’s strengths and their on-screen chemistry cemented their reputations as huge box office stars who worked together five times over more than 20 years. With classic films together such as Rio Grande and The quiet manDespite the varying quality of their five films, seeing the duo together on screen always felt like a special occasion.
John Wayne’s film, 100% on RT, completely transformed the western genre forever
One of John Wayne’s best films has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is still respected today for its progressive storytelling and technique.
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5 The Wings of Eagles (1957)
John Wayne as Frank “Spig” Wead and Maureen O’Hara as Min Wead
Close the Wings of the Eagles Approved Drama Biography War
Director John Ford Release date February 22, 1957 Screenwriters Frank Fenton , William Wister Haines , Frank Wead Duration 110 minutes Cast John Wayne , Maureen O’Hara , Dan Dailey , Ward Bond , Ken Curtis , Edmund Lowe , Kenneth Tobey , James Todd
The wings of eagles was a 1957 biographical film about United States Navy aviator Frank “Spig” Wead that also served as a history of American aviation from its beginnings through World War II. Navy flight students and instructors appeared as extras in the film, adding an air of authenticity. However, many of the film’s interior sets were recycled from other MGM films to save money.
Directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne as Spig and Maureen O’Hara as his wife Min Wead, The wings of eagles acted as an enjoyable melodrama that glorified military life and imbued its story with family drama and unfortunately dated humor. With committed performances, the best of The wings of eagles It was the couple formed by Wayne and O’Hara who at that time had already starred in three films together.
4. Big Jake (1971)
John Wayne as Jacob McCandles and Maureen O’Hara as Martha McCandles
Close Big Jake PG-13 Western Drama
Director George Sherman , John Wayne Release date May 26, 1971 Duration 110 minutes Writers Harry Julian Fink , Rita M. Fink Cast John Wayne , Richard Boone , Maureen O’Hara , Patrick Wayne , Christopher Mitchum , Bobby Vinton , Bruce Cabot , Glenn Corbett Primary genre Western Expand
The last film to feature John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, O’Hara retired for 20 years after the Technicolor western’s release. Big Jake. With a plot involving a child being kidnapped and held for ransom, Big Jake It was a film that featured some great character introductions and a thrilling climax, but unfortunately it took a while to get to the point and felt a little tedious at times. However, the reunited pairing of Wayne and O’Hara alone was enough to justify the price of admission and the two proved one last time what made them a great team.
Wayne played Jacob McCandles and O’Hara was his wife, Martha.
Wayne played Jacob McCandles and O’Hara played his wife, Martha. Together, with their children, they ran a ranch that was attacked by the notorious Fain gang, who kidnapped their son Little Jake. This action set in motion a cowboy adventure in which Wayne went on the hunt to save his son. However, the film could have benefited from more interaction between Wayne and O’Hara, as her role was reduced. Sadly, Big Jake It was an uneven film that, with a stronger script and better direction, could have been among Wayne and O’Hara’s best work together.
3 McLintock! (1963)
John Wayne as G.W. McLintock and Maureen O’Hara as Kate McLintock
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John Wayne showed his funny side in McLinkstock! a comedy co-starring Maureen O’Hara that was partly inspired by the work of William Shakespeare The Taming of the ShrewAn excessive adventure, McLinkstock! It featured thrilling gun chases, hilarious antics, and a famous spanking scene that O’Hara testified was real (via Express.) Unusually for a western directed by Wayne, McLinkstock! It left aside the usual action-oriented nature of the genre and devoted some time to stories of everyday life and those living in the American rural Old West.
McLintock! may not have gone down in history as the greatest comedy of all time, but it was still an enjoyable piece of entertainment.
Telling the story of a wealthy park ranger, played by Wayne, who used his power and influence to keep the peace between farmers, land grabbers, Native Americans and corrupt government officials. McLintock! was a box office hit that carried out its entertaining western comedy premise well. O’Hara shined as the gorgeous redhead Kate McLintock, who was responsible for some of the film’s most hilarious scenes and was fervently committed to delivering expert physical comedy. McLintock! may not have gone down in history as the greatest comedy of all time, but it was still an enjoyable piece of entertainment.
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2 Rio Grande (1950)
John Wayne as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke and Maureen O’Hara as Kathleen Yorke
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The first film to feature John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, Rio Grande laid the groundwork for their long-running collaboration that would also include three films with acclaimed Western director John Ford. The story of a cavalry officer who faces off against murderous Apaches and his ex-wife, Rio Grande highlighted themes of conflict, love and military life. Rio Grande It was the third and final installment of Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy,” which also included Ford Apache and She was wearing a yellow ribbon.
Wayne played Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke, tasked with leading a cavalry force against Apache raiders on the U.S.-Mexico border, while O’Hara played his long-lost wife, Kathleen Yorke, who unexpectedly arrives to take their underage son home after she buys him out of enlisting in the military. Kirby must deal with both personal and professional issues and navigate tensions between his family and the troops. Rio Grande It was a powerful collaboration between Wayne and O’Hara that showed the complex personal sacrifices faced by those in military life.
1 The Quiet Man (1952)
John Wayne as Sean Thornton and Maureen O’Hara as Mary Kate Danaher
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The best film that introduced the dynamic duo of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was the extraordinary romantic comedy and ode to Ireland, The quiet manAn important moment for Irish cinematic representation, The quiet man brought hordes of American tourists to Cong, County Mayo, to witness the place where legendary filmmaker John Ford produced his lush showcase of rolling green hills and idyllic small-town life in the fictional community of Inisfree. The quiet man It was a romantic success that portrayed Ireland as it had never been seen before on the big screen.
The quiet man told the story of a retired American boxer, played by Wayne, who falls in love with an outgoing and exciting Irish redhead, played by O’Hara, when he visits her hometown in rural 1920s Ireland. An expert blend of Wayne and O’Hara’s natural chemistry, guided by iconic film director Ford, The quiet man It was a triumphant collaboration that represented everything that was good about the duo’s work together. A fun, heartfelt and memorable romance. The quiet man It served as Wayne and O’Hara’s crowning achievement and was one of John Wayne’s favorite films.
The name of the fictional community, Inisfree, was inspired by the WB Years poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”, a small uninhabited island within Lough Gill on the Sligo-Leitrim border in Ireland.
John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara’s off-screen relationship
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They were clearly as close as family during the nearly 40 years they knew each other.
Although Wayne and O’Hara appeared in numerous projects together and cared deeply for each other, they never had a romantic relationship. O’Hara repeatedly denied rumors that anything romantic was going on between them. A biography of Wayne titled John Wayne: The Life and the Legend, In 2014, Scott Eyman released a different statement: A friend of Wayne’s who spoke to Eyman claims that Wayne and O’Hara had an affair that lasted for years, but that was never corroborated.
Although their first film together wouldn’t hit theaters until 1950, the two met and became friends when O’Hara moved from Ireland to the United States in 1939. They maintained a lifelong friendship. When O’Hara appeared for a televised interview with Larry King in 2000, she didn’t seem to be concerned by the idea that people had long assumed she and Wayne were romantic. She denied the allegations of an affair to King again, but also told him:
An older lady would stop me on the street and say, “I saw all your kids today,” and they were all Duke’s kids.
Of course, she also said that Wayne’s children called her “Aunt Maureen” and that they shared all their secrets with each other. They were clearly as close as a family during the nearly 40 years they knew each other.
In 1978, O’Hara beat cancer while Wayne was gravely ill from a cancer diagnosis. She traveled to speak in Congress on his behalf and requested a Congressional Medal for her friend:
I have known John Wayne for 39 years, and for those 39 years I have called him my dearest friend, my best friend. To the people of the world, John Wayne is not just an actor, and a first-class actor. John Wayne is the United States of America. I beg you to strike a medal for Duke, to order the President to strike one. And I think the medal should say one thing: “John Wayne, American.”
O’Hara granted Wayne’s wish to receive a Congressional Medal. He died the following year.
Fountain: Express, Larry King Live, John Wayne: The Life and the Legend,